Staff Again

Abstract

At the end of April 1937, as AB was about to leave Aden for France, there was an unfortunate incident at Djibouti with the customs authorities, resulting in the firm being fined 74 000 frs¹: it was a blow to the firm’s prestige, which AB felt keenly. Soon after his arrival at Le Paradou there was a sharp exchange with Davis over the perennial problem of recruiting officers and engineers for the two ships. Davis sent in a note comparing rates and conditions in the Halal Shipping Co. with those in the Anglo-Saxon fleet; and suggested that, as an inducement, future agreements should provide for five months’ leave following twenty-five months’ service. AB considered the idea ‘preposterous’. ‘I do not believe for a moment that terms have anything to do with the difficulty you experience in finding men. The conditions we offer are fair enough; the root of the trouble lies in the lack of influence of our London office…’.